Statement by Mrs. Ts. NYMSUREN  on
Agenda ITEM 110(a)  Human rights questions: "Implementation of human rights instruments"

New York, 30 October, 1998

Mr. Chairman,

 The celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and  as well as the fifth anniversary of the adoption  of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action are an events of special significance. They are connected with the tremendous changes that have taken place over the last half a century in the concept and practice of ensuring human rights.  Thanks to the Declaration new, unprecedented high standards  have been set for protecting human dignity. Since the adoption of the Declaration in 1948, those standards have been  strengthened and broadened by numerous treaties and conventions and have become truly universal.

 The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an illustration thereof. So is  the  Convention on Elimination of  All Forms of Discrimination  Against Women.

 My delegation welcomes the progress achieved by the Member States in increasing  the number of ratifications of human rights treaties and conventions  after the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 
A legal basis of protection and promotion of international standard of human rights was laid down in Mongolia by its Constitution of 1992. It has been further developed in  relevant legislation and the established administrative and legal machinery and guarantees. They  include, first of all, an overwhelming majority of UN treaties and conventions on human rights and humanitarian issues that Mongolia joined.

The establishment of the National Human Rights Commission in Mongolia is under consideration.  A relevant draft law has been submitted to the Parliament for its adoption.

 A National Commission headed by the Minister for Justice was set up to coordinate activities related to the nation-wide celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 
Since 1961, after joining the United Nations, Mongolia has acceded to over twenty  UN treaties and conventions on human rights and humanitarian issues and is  implementing  their provisions in the national context. All these adequately demonstrated Mongolia’s determination to promote and protect human rights.

 Last year the Parliament of Mongolia has ratified the amendments  to article 43 of Convention on the Rights of the Child and as well as   to article 20, paragraph 1 of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

 This year  the Government of Mongolia has already submitted  its national reports to the committees on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women,   on Human Rights and on the Elimination of  Racial Discrimination.
 
 Mongolia was among the first to sign the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the initial report of Mongolia on the implementation of the Convention has been successfully considered by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in 1996.
 

Mr. Chairman,

 Since 1990 Mongolia is pursuing  democratic reforms and renovations in the political and economic spheres.  Mongolia today is a country with parliamentary system of government. The President and the Parliament are elected directly by the people.

While  having these positive results in the political fields, like in most of developing countries, the economy is weak, social development pressures and problems are very enormous. During this transition period the living standard of a sizable portion of the population has fallen, while poverty and unemployment have increased.  Especially the vulnerable groups of the society, i.e. children, women, disabilities  are suffering most. Judging from the data collected by the  law-enforcement agencies, violence rate against women  and domestic violence are  growing. Heavy consumption of alcohol and worsening poverty are identified as one of the major causes of increase in crime.

 Also the prison facilities are very  poor, as a result  disease and malnutrition are the major causes for concern in prisons.

 In order to overcome all these and other difficulties, the Government is mobilizing all the  internal resources and possibilities, implementing different programmes and projects. For these reasons in foreseeable future external assistance and support would also remain important.
 

Mr. Chairman,

 Last year in this very Committee, Mme. Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, mentioned in her statement that her Office’s work of human rights promotion and protection has taken them away from Geneva  to the field. My delegation is happy to note that the above mentioned is also true with respect to    Mongolia.  For example,  in  1995   the Office of  Human Rights was established   in Mongolia.

In 1996, a Memorandum of Intent was signed between the Government of Mongolia and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).  This provided for the continuation of the programme  until March 1997 including administration of justice and institution building, information and education and strengthening of civil society.

 This year the Government of Mongolia and the   OHCHR have signed a    project document titled ”Programme for strengthening national infrastructure for the promotion and protection of human rights in Mongolia”.
 
 This project is intended to strengthen awareness of human rights norms and guarantees among the civil  society in Mongolia. The project is designed to assist in establishing an independent National Human Rights Commission to foster promotion and protection of human rights. The project component of prison reform is aimed at bringing the existing legislation into conformity with relevant international standards and train prison staff accordingly.
 

Mr. Chairman,

 As mentioned in the Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/53/36),  indeed, the human rights issues  are increasingly integrated in the work of the United Nations system. My delegation  welcomes the work of UN Executive Committees, Departments and Programmes and Specialized Agencies in particular  the  UNDP, UNICEF,  UNFPA, and WHO   all include human rights in their work through regular coordination with OHCHR  and through the signature of memorandums of understanding.   All these activities give effect to what  the  Secretary-General has repeatedly  stressed, i.e., promoting human rights not as separate from the Organization’s other activities, but as a common thread running through all of them.
 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.